Wednesday Devo
Scripture:
1 Thessalonians 5:19-22
19 Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. 20 Do not scoff at prophecies, 21 but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. 22 Stay away from every kind of evil.
19 Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. 20 Do not scoff at prophecies, 21 but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. 22 Stay away from every kind of evil.
Commentary:
5:19 Do not quench the Spirit. The manner in which the Thessalonians were extinguishing the Holy Spirit’s fire is specified in the next verse.
5:20–21 Do not despise prophecies. Believers are to be open to the disclosure of God’s will through fellow Christians exercising the gift of prophecy (see note on 1 Cor. 14:22–25). The Thessalonians apparently despised manifestations of prophecy and hence were cutting off a valuable source of encouragement and extinguishing the Spirit’s fire. test everything. Rather than rejecting prophecies outright on the basis of inferior prophetic words, the Thessalonians need to weigh prophecies to distinguish the true from the false. Tests presumably include the prophecy’s conformity with authoritative revelation, its value for edification, and its evaluation by those with spiritual discernment. See 1 Cor. 14:29–33 and the note on 1 Cor. 12:10 regarding the operation of prophecy in the church. what is good. In context, this most likely refers to prophecies that pass the test.
5:22 Abstain from. Paul now moves on to stress, more generally, the importance of rejecting every form of evil.
5:20–21 Do not despise prophecies. Believers are to be open to the disclosure of God’s will through fellow Christians exercising the gift of prophecy (see note on 1 Cor. 14:22–25). The Thessalonians apparently despised manifestations of prophecy and hence were cutting off a valuable source of encouragement and extinguishing the Spirit’s fire. test everything. Rather than rejecting prophecies outright on the basis of inferior prophetic words, the Thessalonians need to weigh prophecies to distinguish the true from the false. Tests presumably include the prophecy’s conformity with authoritative revelation, its value for edification, and its evaluation by those with spiritual discernment. See 1 Cor. 14:29–33 and the note on 1 Cor. 12:10 regarding the operation of prophecy in the church. what is good. In context, this most likely refers to prophecies that pass the test.
5:22 Abstain from. Paul now moves on to stress, more generally, the importance of rejecting every form of evil.
Questions:
- When it comes to prophecy, Scripture clearly tells us that it must be tested. It has to be submitted to God's Word, to Jesus and to the church community of believers. Scripture is the final authority, and it trumps any prophetic word. When there is disagreement between the two, Scripture must win. This should be true of everything in our lives. God's Word should be the standard of truth that informs everything else we say, do or believe. Is Scripture your standard of truth? Do you trust the Bible over what you think or feel is right?
- If we want to accurately interpret anything we feel God may be saying to us, we must have a firm grasp on what the Bible says. When our lives are built on God's Word, we would begin to become more and more filled with biblical wisdom. This will allow us the ability to discern the whisper of the Holy Spirit in our lives and to experience even more of him. Is this true of your life? Is it built upon and subject to the Word of God? How do you know?
Prayer Topics:
- That you would be disciplined in your study of God's Word.
- That your life would be built on the foundation of Scripture.
This Week's City 7:
Try to commit to memory!
1. Who is Jesus? I believe Jesus is God because Jesus said He is God and proved it by rising from the dead and appearing to His disciples, His brother James, 500 others at one time and Paul.
(Mark 3:21; John 8:58, 10:30-33, 14:9-11; Acts 9:1-6; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8; Colossians 1:15-20; Hebrews 1:2-3; James 1:1)
(Mark 3:21; John 8:58, 10:30-33, 14:9-11; Acts 9:1-6; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8; Colossians 1:15-20; Hebrews 1:2-3; James 1:1)
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